Before I Go ~ A XiaoLumi Story

Chapter 19

SAILORS WERE LOADING packages onto a small rowboat to be taken out to the Alcor. Lumine added her belongings to the pile and headed towards Beidou and Kazuha with Paimon and Xiao in tow.

"Ah, our little adventurer!" Beidou announced, giving Lumine a pat on the back.

Kazuha smiled at her. "Glad to see you could make it."

"And who might this young lad be?" Beidou asked Lumine, sizing up Xiao.

Xiao stood there stiffly, his hands tensing into fists.

"This is Xiao," Lumine introduced, moving protectively to his side and slipping her hand into his.

Beidou smirked at this, but proceeded onwards. "Well, this is the last of the loot," she said, waving to all the bags and boxes being transported onto the ship. "We leave port in an hour."

Lumine nodded. "Thank you again, Captain Beidou."

Kazuha and Lumine looked at each other. Lumine tried to convey a please-get-Paimon-out-of-here stare. Kazuha's eyes twinkled and he waved Paimon over to play hide-and-seek.

"Xiao, please talk to me," Lumine begged, dragging him over to sit in a shady patch of grass.

The Adeptus sighed. "Lumine, what do you want to know?" Xiao growled huskily.

Lumine felt tears pushing at her eyes. "You can come with me. To Inazuma. Beidou wouldn't mind. We don't have to be apart."

Xiao shook his head. "My contract. I have to honor it and stay in Liyue to protect everyone." He sighed, gazing over the horizon. "Lumine, ever since I've met you, I knew that you would leave me eventually. Everyone does. The hard thing was that I didn't anticipate . . . ."

Lumine looked at him. "What?"

Xiao breathed shakily. "I didn't anticipate . . . this. Whatever we have together . . . ." He looked out at the Alcor. "I don't want to hold you back, but I also can't lose you," he whispered.

Lumine suddenly started crying. Tears streamed down her face. She leaned against Xiao, who wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close.

Xiao kissed the top of her head. "You have to forget me," he mumbled, almost inaudibly. "The memory of me will just bring you sadness."

Lumine shook her head. "I could never."

"You have to, Lumine," Xiao said. "It's the only way you can move on. Meet someone new. Whatever you mortals do."

The traveler let out a sob that made her body tremble against Xiao's.

"Please, Lumine. It's my final request." the Yaksha murmured. "Your lives are too short to be worried about inevitable things."

Still, Lumine shook her head stubbornly.

"All passengers and crew, please begin boarding the Alcor," a sailor below announced.

"Come on," Xiao said, pushing Lumine up and grabbing her hand.

"I'll write to you," Lumine offered. "Every day. Please just let me do that."

Xiao lightly brushed his lips over the back of her palm. "Of course, Lumine. I would love that."

Xiao watched Lumine walk up the gangplank, turning back only to give a final wave. The Adeptus wiped a tear from his eye and waved back.

Xiao heard Beidou calling from the deck, "All men aboard! Cast down the sails! Full speed, folks!"

The sunset lit up the sea as the Alcor steered its way out to open water. The blood-red sails billowed in the wind, and Xiao watched, fighting back tears, as it carried Lumine away, out to follow her destiny.

Lumine gazed back at Guyun Stone Forest, trying to look at Xiao until all the people on the shore faded away into tiny black dots, and she could see Liyue no more.

.

.

.

"ALL HANDS! ALL hands!" Beidou shouted over the thunderous roar of the storm.

Lumine felt ill. Very ill. Paimon was with her in their cabin with a bucket nearby -- just in case.

Kazuha popped in. "The storm is getting worse," he conceded. "It's probably worse for you to be below deck."

Lumine nodded slightly, her face pale. "Could you help me walk up to the main deck then, please?"

"Still haven't gotten your sea legs yet, eh?" Kazuha grinned and helped Lumine walk up to the deck.

"Men, up the ratlines! Cut away the sails! Up the mainmast!" Beidou commanded. Lumine watched as Beidou's crew promptly followed her instruction, scurrying up ropes and into the rigging.

"Sit down over here," Kazuha said gently, guiding Lumine over to sit under a canvas sheet.

"Paimon's getting worried!" Paimon said uneasily. "The storm looks like it's getting worse."

Kazuha frowned. "I'm going to talk to Beidou, stay here." He walked away.

As if I could move, Lumine thought.

Beidou's roaring voice commanded, "All crew, to the deck!" Lumine watched, feeling numb, as the crew of the Alcor assembled on the forecastle deck.

"We're taking on water! Bailout!" Beidou yelled. Lumine stood shakily, clinging to the rail as the boat tipped beneath her. She finally got to Beidou.

"I want to help," she said.

Beidou looked at her and scoffed. "No. Absolutely not."

The two turned as a sail snapped off the mast into the air, carried away by the raging wind.

Stubbornly, Lumine insisted, "I'm going to help."

"You're in no co-" Beidou grumbled, cut off by Lumine turning abruptly and wobbling away to find a bucket.

The rain kept pouring as Lumine scooped water off of the deck. Thunder crashed overhead and lightning sliced through the sky like a knife.

Lumine looked up, hearing someone scream. A girl had fallen from the ratlines and had landed with a sickening thud on the deck. Quickly she was swarmed by sailors.

Lumine got up to hobble over to help the girl up, but the boat gave an abrupt lurch, sending Lumine flying into the railing. She winced, letting out a groan.

"Lumine!" Kazuha cried, quickly scurrying down from the rigging to help her up. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. Kazuha slid something into her hand. It was an odd object and looked something like a Teleport Waypoint, strangely shaped statues Lumine had seen across Teyvat.

"Here, in case things get rough," Kazuha said, pressing the object into Lumine's hand and running over to check on the girl lying on the deck.

The boat gave another leap as it bucked over a huge wave. Paimon banged her head on a large beam. "Oww!" she whined.

"It's too dangerous!" Beidou cried. "The storm isn't ending any time soon. Turn back!" she yelled to the person at the helm, steering the boat.

Slowly the Alcor shifted, but it staggered again on a huge wave. Lumine felt herself losing her balance. The waves wouldn't stop coming. Suddenly, Lumine flew off the side of the deck.

"Lumine!" was the last thing she heard before ice-cold water closed over her head.